The National Public Health Information Coalition and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are making it easier for people to know when and where to get vaccinated for various reasons – and not just for COVID-19.
National Immunization Awareness Month is observed in August to highlight the importance of vaccination for children and adults.
According to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, there are several doses of various vaccinations school-aged children are required to have on record before they are allowed to attend child care or school.
“The first doses of measles, mumps, and rubella, varicella, and hepatitis A vaccines must be administered on or after the child’s first birthday, or they will not count toward the immunization requirement and must be repeated,” the OSDH said.
While it’s not necessary to restart a series of any vaccine if a dose is administered late or is past due, doses given after the due date won’t affect final immunity.
“Children may be allowed to attend child care and school if they have received at least one dose of all required vaccines due for their age or grade, and the next doses are not yet due. They must complete the remaining doses of vaccine on schedule,” OSDH said.
Haemophilus influenza and pneumococcal vaccines aren’t required for students in preschool, prekindergarten, or kindergarten. However, those vaccines are required for students attending licensed child care facilities.
The number of doses for those two vaccines can range from one to four, depending on the child’s age, when the first dose was given, and the type of vaccine used.
“Students 11 through 15 years of age who have not received Hep B vaccine may receive a 2-dose series of Merck Adult Hepatitis B vaccine to comply with this requirement. All other children must receive three doses of pediatric hepatitis B vaccine,” said the OSDH.
The CDC does recommend that children, after age 10, get a dose of tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis.
All children and teenagers in school are required to have one dose of Varicella, also known as chickenpox vaccine.
OSDH spokesman Rob Crissinger said vaccines are available for medicaid-eligible, uninsured, underinsured, and American Indian/Alaska native kids, at providers who have a Vaccine for Children program. There are 760 across the state and those providers include county health departments.
Kids who are insured can get vaccinated at their pediatricians’ offices without any payment, as most insurance covers all vaccines for kids.
As the number of COVID-19 cases are increasing ahead of the new school year, several local places are administering the vaccine free of charge: Walmart, Reasor’s, Urgent Care, Walgreens, Tahlequah Drug Co., NeoHealth-Hulbert Health Center, and Tahlequah Med Group Primary Care.
